Smooth Criminal
| format = *7-inch single *12-inch single *CD single *cassette single | recorded = November 1986 - April 1987 | studio = Westlake Recording Studios (studio D), Los Angeles | venue = | genre = *Pop *R&B *funk | length = | label = Epic | writer = Michael Jackson | producer = *Quincy Jones *Michael Jackson (co.) | prev_title = Another Part of Me | prev_year = 1988 | next_title = Leave Me Alone | next_year = 1989 | misc = }} "Smooth Criminal" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his seventh studio album Bad (1987). It was written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. Its music video was first broadcast in early October 1988, followed by a single release on October 24, 1988, the seventh from the album. "Smooth Criminal" is one of Jackson's signature songs, and has appeared on numerous greatest hits albums. It was performed on all his solo tours. It features a fast beat with lyrics about a woman who has been attacked in her apartment by a "smooth criminal". "Smooth Criminal" peaked at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song reached number one in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands and Spain. It was rereleased in 2006 as a single as a part of Jackson's Visionary: The Video Singles boxset. In 2001, the American rock band Alien Ant Farm released a cover of "Smooth Criminal", topping the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Composition "Smooth Criminal" is in the key of A minor. Jackson's vocal spans from G3 to E5. It has a moderate tempo of 118 beats per minute. The lyrics describe a narrator who finds a bloodstained carpet and an unconscious body. The chorus refrain, "Annie, are you OK?", was inspired by Resusci Anne, a dummy used in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training courses. CPR trainees learn to say "Annie, are you OK?" while practicing resuscitation on the dummy. "Smooth Criminal" evolved from an earlier song written by Jackson, "Al Capone", later released on the anniversary reissue Bad 25. Music video Jackson originally wanted to make the music video in the western genre, but decided after watching The Godfather with director Colin Chilvers to change it to a 1930s gangster style.Michael Jackson's Private Home Movies, 2003 The film was shot between mid-February and April 1987. The video premiered on MTV on October 13, 1988. Jeffrey Daniel of the soul music group Shalamar co-choreographed the "Smooth Criminal" video with Jackson and Vincent Paterson, who was a back-up dancer in "Beat It" and "Thriller". It was directed by special effects coordinator Colin Chilvers. The dance sequence of the video in the 1930s style lounge (and Michael's white suit and fedora) pays tribute to the Fred Astaire musical comedy film The Band Wagon. The video won Best Music Video at the 1989 Brit Awards and the Critic's Choice awarded Jackson the "Best Video" award and the People's Choice Awards for "Favorite Music Video" for that same year. The style of clothing as well as mannerisms Jackson portrayed were reused in the numerous adaptations of the video game Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. The song itself serves as the background music for the "Club 30s" stage, the nightclub seen in the music video, that appears in the game. The video is the centerpiece of the 1988 film Moonwalker. Anti-gravity lean In the music video, Jackson and the dancers perform an "anti-gravity lean" that appears physically impossible. The dancers lean forward 45 degrees with their backs straight and feet flat on the floor, and hold the pose before returning upright. The lean moves the body's center of mass further than it can support. In the video, the illusion was achieved using cables and a harness. In October 1993, Jackson and his team patented a method of performing the lean in concert using specially designed shoes that hook into pegs that rise from the stage. Even with the shoes, the move requires good athletic core strength. Critical response Jason Elias of AllMusic wrote that "Smooth Criminal" was "a gorgeous and exhilarating record ... it presents Michael Jackson at his most captivating and it never fails to impress". Rolling Stone named it the sixth best Jackson song, writing that it was "his best blend of R&B groove and rock edginess, and a turning point in his shift toward darker, harder-edged material." In a retrospective review of Bad, Newsweek wrote: "Criminal is a sleek, exhilarating action sequence of a song that's unlike anything else in Jackson's catalog ... an urgent and inspired highlight. Bad is at its best when it explores the darker, more paranoid side that began to consume Jackson's life in the late '80s, and this song captures that impulse." Entertainment Weekly wrote: "If there was one song on Bad that truly captured the sense of artistic freedom that Jackson felt after Thriller, it was this track ... This is pop music as suspense drama." Personnel *Michael Jackson: Lead and backing vocals *David Williams: Guitars *John Barnes, Michael Boddicker: Synthesizers *Christopher Currell: Synclavier programming *Bill Bottrell, Bruce Swedien, John Robinson: Drums Production * Michael Jackson – production * Quincy Jones – production * Bruce Swedien – recording Chart performance Weekly charts Certifications |autocat=yes}} Track listing *'7" single:' # "Smooth Criminal" (single mix) – 4:10 # "Smooth Criminal" (instrumental) – 4:10 *'12" maxi and CD-maxi:' # "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:46 # "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix radio edit) – 5:20 # "Smooth Criminal" ("Annie" mix) – 5:35 # "Smooth Criminal" (dance mix – dub version) – 4:45 # "Smooth Criminal" (a cappella) – 4:12 * Cassette Single //2 Tracks// # Smooth Criminal # Smooth Criminal (Instrumental) * Visionary single: CD side: # "Smooth Criminal" – 4:10 # "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:45 DVD side: # "Smooth Criminal" (music video (short version)) — 4:11 # "Smooth Criminal" (music video) — 9:27 * 3" CD single: # "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) – 7:46 # "Smooth Criminal" ("Annie" mix) – 5:35 # "Smooth Criminal" (dance mix – dub version) – 4:45 * CD promo: # "Smooth Criminal" (single mix) – 4:12 # "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix) (different from other releases)– 7:46 # "Smooth Criminal" (extended dance mix radio edit) (different from other releases)– 5:20 # "Smooth Criminal" ("Annie" mix) (different from other releases) – 5:35 # "Smooth Criminal" (dance mix – dub version) – 4:45 # "Smooth Criminal" (a cappella) – 4:12 * 3" CD Japanese Single //2 Tracks// # Smooth Criminal # Smooth Criminal (Instrumental) Alien Ant Farm version | format = CD single | recorded = 2000 | studio = | venue = | genre = *Nu metal *funk metal | length = | label = DreamWorks | writer = Michael Jackson | producer = Jay Baumgardner | prev_title = Movies | prev_year = 2001 | next_title = Movies (re-release) | next_year = 2001 }} In 2001, Alien Ant Farm released a cover version of "Smooth Criminal" as their debut single from their album Anthology. According to the band members, they would play a few riffs of the Jackson song while warming up before gigs and audience members would request them to play the entire song. This positive feedback encouraged them to record their own rendition of "Smooth Criminal" and include it on Anthology. It became a number one hit on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and was also a number one in Australia. The music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld, and features multiple references to Michael Jackson music videos, including the "Smooth Criminal" video itself. The song was featured in the 2001 film American Pie 2 and the TV spot for Horrible Bosses 2. This version was featured in several video games including Karaoke Revolution, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades and as downloadable content for the Rock Band series. The album Greatest Hits (1999) includes a hidden track named "Slick Thief", which is an early version of "Smooth Criminal". Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Decade-end charts Certifications ''Glee'' version In January 2012, Naya Rivera (as her character Santana Lopez) and Grant Gustin (as Sebastian Smythe) performed "Smooth Criminal" as a duet in the season three episode "Michael" of the American musical television show Glee, backed by musical duo 2Cellos. The song was filmed in a similar environment as the 2Cellos music video, in a room surrounded by empty chairs as the two musicians play. This cover debuted and peaked at number 26 at Billboard Hot 100, number 10 at Billboard Digital Songs, and number 28 at Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart at the week of February 18, 2012. References External links * * *Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion Category:1987 singles Category:1988 singles Category:2001 singles Category:Alien Ant Farm songs Category:Number-one debut singles Category:Billboard Alternative Songs number-one singles Category:Electro songs Category:Michael Jackson songs Category:Music videos directed by Marc Klasfeld Category:Number-one singles in Belgium Category:Number-one singles in Denmark Category:Number-one singles in Australia Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles Category:Number-one singles in Spain Category:Songs from films Category:Songs written by Michael Jackson Category:Song recordings produced by Michael Jackson Category:Song recordings produced by Quincy Jones Category:1987 songs Category:Kristen Bell songs